EV Charging for Hotels: Overnight AC, Valet Bays and Guest Billing

Short answer: hotels need mostly overnight AC charging: dual-port posts or wall units at 7–11 kW per car fill almost any battery by morning. Start with one charging point per 10–20 rooms, share the supply with load management, and add one 30–60 kW DC charger only if many visitors stay just an hour or two. Decide early how guests get access and pay — free, flat fee, or per kWh on the room bill.

Match the charger to how long cars stay

Visitor	Typical stay	Energy needed	Charger
Overnight guest	8–14 hours	Up to a full battery	7–11 kW AC (22 kW only where cars accept it)
Conference or event guest	4–8 hours	Half a battery	7–22 kW AC
Restaurant, spa, day visitor	1–3 hours	A top-up for the trip home	30–60 kW DC
Hotel shuttle or fleet car	Between trips	Depends on the schedule	DC wallbox or a dedicated AC point

Most cars charge on AC at 7 or 11 kW; only some accept 22 kW. That is why a 22 kW dual-port charger on a hotel car park is best seen as flexible capacity: two cars at 11 kW each, or one at a higher rate where the car allows it.

Plan the car park in phases

Phase	What to install	Why
1 — Now	Dual-port AC posts for the first 4–10 bays near the entrance, one DC unit if day visitors justify it	Serve current demand; visible to arriving guests
2 — Ducting	Empty ducts and cable routes to more bays while the ground is open	Cheap during construction, expensive later
3 — Grow	More posts on the same load-management group	Add points without upgrading the supply

Dual-port units halve the number of devices, foundations and cable runs. Wall-mounted dual units suit underground garages; pedestals suit open car parks and valet areas.

Power: share it rather than oversize it

A hotel’s own peak load — kitchens, laundry, air-conditioning — leaves limited spare capacity. Dynamic load management measures the building load and divides what is left between the chargers, so 10 or 20 points can share a supply sized for far fewer. Cars charging overnight rarely notice: even 4–5 kW each over 10 hours is 40–50 kWh, enough for most guests. See dynamic load management.

Access and billing

Model	How it works	Best for
Free for guests	Chargers open or RFID cards at reception	Upscale and resort hotels using charging as a perk
Flat overnight fee	Fixed price added at check-out	Simple; no metering by guest needed
Per kWh on the room bill	RFID card linked to the room via the OCPP back end	Business hotels, fair pricing
Pay as you go	QR code or card terminal	Non-guests, restaurant and spa visitors

An OCPP 1.6J or 2.0.1 connection lets the hotel or its charging partner manage access, prices and reports without changing hardware. Where energy is sold by the kWh, check local rules on metering for billing — see how to price EV charging.

Layout and operations

• Valet bays next to the entrance with chargers the valet team can operate; tethered cables long enough (5–7 m) to reach inlets at the front, side or rear.
• Keep charging bays clear of luggage drop-off and coach parking.
• Signage and rules: how long a car may stay, what happens when it is full, who to call.
• Lighting and CCTV at the bays for guest safety.
• Accessible bays with chargers reachable from a wheelchair — see accessible EV charging bays.
• Resorts and coastal sites: corrosion-resistant finish and IP55 housings.

Recommended VULTAE configuration

Situation	Model
Open car park or valet area	VT-CP dual-port AC pedestal, 2 × 7–22 kW, IP55 · IK10, RFID, OCPP
Underground garage	VT-CW dual-port wall charger, 2 × 7–22 kW
Day visitors, shuttle vehicles	VT-DW DC wallbox, 20–60 kW
Hotels in North America	VT-HW North American wallboxes, 32–48 A, J1772

Send us the number of rooms, parking bays and the spare capacity of your supply, and we will propose a phased layout with the right number of points.